Alone Time
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Mirajane finds the best part about moving in with Laxus is, actually, him not being around. Well, maybe the second best. - One-shot.


Mirajane had spent the majority of her life living with someone. As a young child, she was crammed into a too small shack with her mother, father, and two younger siblings. Then, following the two former's deaths, she eventually found her way to Fairy Tail with the latter and immediately set out to buy a home for the three of them. Even during Lisanna's absence, Elfman was always hanging about. And after her return, it was the three of them once more and, given all the grief they'd suffered together, they all seemed content to carry on that way for the rest of their lives.

But the trauma and it's reckoning faded as time went on and, though they all still recognized the blessing in which they'd been bestowed, the three siblings found themselves out growing one another. Honestly, Mirajane feared at first that she'd be the last one standing in the Strauss house, as Lisanna only found more freedom and Elfman seemed to be getting closer and closer to Evergreen.

This wasn't the case, however, as she found herself calling a Strauss house meeting one afternoon to inform the two of them that, in the coming month, she'd be moving in with her boyfriend.

Not the best received news in the world, Mirajane did convince her brother, eventually, that no, Laxus did not have to come to him, man to man, before this took place and ask his permission, as well as come to an agreement with Lisanna over just how many fights Laxus owed Natsu, as repayment for her giving up her older sister to him.

And she assured both of them that they could visit whenever they wanted.

Only for Laxus to correct that they definitely couldn't and if they wanted to see her, they better memorize her schedule up at the hall.

But she was assuring them that he was just kidding.

Mostly.

While living with a man was a new experience for the barmaid, Mirajane was quick to find that the majority of the time she wasn't; living with the man that was. Laxus was always gone on his typical long, S-Class misadventures and though he spent more time hanging around in those days, completely infatuated with his current relationship, the draw to travel always came calling.

It was weird, the first time he went away for awhile, after they'd just moved in together. Mirajane awoke in the morning, just the same as she always did, to get to the hall early, and they arrived together, him hoping to snag a job before the guild even opened.

Then began a grueling day of the typical grind and by the time she tumbled into the bed at the apartment, she hardly had time to notice it was without the slayer. Through sheer coincidence, the following day was an off day and though she peeked her eyes open just before sunrise, much like she would were she headed to open the hall, it was only to lay in bed for a bit, breathing in the new day.

As the grogginess faded, Mirajane was welcomed to…

Nothing.

Recently, it was usually the snores of her sleeping dragon beside her, but even before she moved in or began staying with him so much, the sounds of the household she shared with her siblings brought a melody of sounds. Elfman always got up early in the morning, to head out to train, but he usually stumbled into many things in the cramped things along the way. And if Mira was off in the morning, that meant that Lisanna had to go in, to open up the hall, so she'd groan and moan loudly thoruhg this, until she had her first cup of coffee.

And that was assuming they didn't need something from her.

Because someone always needed something from her.

There wasn't anyone there though, that morning, as she rested on her belly and watched the time click away on the clock in silence. As the light from the sun changed from early morning oranges to the bright yellows of the coming day, she found herself not speaking or humming either, things she did frequently, even when alone, as not to ruin the current stillness.

It was a laze she never quite knew she possessed and when, eventually, she knew she had to get up, least she tempt herself back into falling asleep and wasting her day off, Mira didn't find herself rushing off to shower or even thinking about leaving the apartment. No.

She knew that she'd like to go and check-in on Lucy, who'd gotten rather shaken up on a recent job and though Erza assured them all she was in the most capable hands of herself, Natsu, and Happy, Gray had more than informed the others that maybe some other faces would raise her theoretical spirits. Then there was Levy, who she'd promised the next time they were both free, she'd head to the market with. And Elfman was still rather pitiful, in the cooking department, so she should probably head over to the house, to cook him some breakfast.

Considering she was off and all.

But Mirajane didn't want to rush to shower off. Go see anyone. No. Only yawned through making some toast and falling into Laxus' nice, sleek couch with little care as to the time.

Everything felt so...distant. Far away. Like nothing beyond the apartment door existed. And did it? Nothing was imminent or required her absolute attention. For the first time in what felt like her entire life, Mirajane was completely free to do as she pleased.

And she was finding that she really didn't want to do much of anything.

Following her tiny breakfast, Mirajane found her eyes traveling around the apartment, trying to find something to occupy her solitude. Still freshly moved in together, the apartment still had a heavy presence of Laxus and very little her, but the man did have a rather sizable bookcase and, as she rose to peruse it, she found her attention drawn somewhere else.

In the corner of the living room sat her mostly unused in those days guitar, in a stand, where it looked just as lonely and dusty as it had in the corner of her tiny bedroom back at home. A smile slowly spreading across her lips, she moved instead to snag it and, when she fell into something that time, it was Laxus' recliner. It smelt of the cigars he puffed and the cologne he wore, but this was just as big a comfort to the woman as the way she sunk right into the fabric, and she never thought it could be so nice.

To be so alone.

But oh, it was.

As her fingers easily found the frets and strings, Mirajane giggled, finally, softly, before humming along to a melody, breaking the unintended vow of silence she'd lapsed into since waking.

"I don't think I saw you at all yesterday," Lisanna remarked the following day. She came in around noon to find her older sister there, as she always was, diligently refilling drinks and taking lunch orders. "Were you feeling well?"

"Oh, I was fine," she assured her sister with a bright grin as she passed with a tray of drinks. "Just took a day off. A real day off."

"A you day," Cana corrected for her around her barrel of wine. Nodding her head over at Mirajane, she said, "Everyone deserves one sometimes."

"I'd wager you've probably had your fair share by this point," Wakaba remarked as he puffed at his cigar at a nearby table.

"Maybe she's been dipping into Mira's," Macao offered.

But Mirajane only hummed softly under her breath and could hardly wait for her, hoping she wasn't too tired, when she got home to the empty apartment that night.

Mira never knew such a thing could be so welcoming.

She enjoyed the solitude for a good two weeks until, one day when she arrived home from work, he was just there. Sitting in her guitar strumming chair, sipping on a beer with a cigar dangling from his mouth. He rose though, the second she entered the apartment, a cocky grin on his usual void face.

"You're," she remarked rather than rush to hug and make over him, like she was sure he was expecting, "home."

Laxus frowned at that. "Don't sound too thrilled."

"Oh, dragon, no, it's not that." Coming forwards then, she did go to hug him though it was much less reciprocated this time. Against his chest, she explained, "I've just kind of liked it. Living alone."

"You don't live alone," he grumbled back as he did give in and pat her gently on the back. "I was literally gone, at most, twelve days."

"It just felt that way, is all."

Grunting, he muttered, "Sorry," but Mirajane was quick to shake her head at this.

"No, Lax, don't be." Mirajane smiled up at him then as she said, "I've actually had a great time. Every night I come home, I've been playing my guitar again and one day, even, I had it off and I just… I'm so happy you're home though. Of course."

"Of course," he replied dryly back and she could tell he was doubtful.

Still, as he took his seat once more, cigar dangling from his lips once more, Mirajane was all ready for him to begin detailing his adventure to her in full detail, oohing and awing in all the right places. But just as she was about to suggest he start and offer to make him something to eat, Laxus was plucking the cigar from his mouth once more and asking instead, "Did you say something about your guitar?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's just so quite, with you gone, and I-"

"Did you think," he asked, "that you'd wanna play something for me?"

Her grin felt more natural that time and, as Laxus returned it, she rushed to grab it from it's stand in the corner of the room.

"But," she added her one caveat, "you have to let me sit in your recliner while I play."

Laxus only blew some smoke her way. "Don't push your luck, demon."

Giggling, she nodded her head as she said, "I'm really glad that we're living together, Lax. I love you, you know."

His cheeks seemed a bit rosy then, maybe, as he was quick to take a swig from his beer.

"Yeah," he remarked as she took her place on the edge of the couch, guitar in hand, ready to yawn through some strumming and humming. "I love you too."


End file.
